Running boards serve three main functions. The most obvious function is to serve as a step. Without an extra step into some of the taller models, getting into a truck will feel like climbing a mountain.

The second is to protect vehicles from various forms of road debris is a second function of running boards. Having a running board in place can block some of this debris from being thrown high enough to scratch and/or damage doors and side panels.

Another added benefit of running boards is that they can help to keep the interior of your truck or van clean. In this way, running boards can act as a doormat; a place where passengers can wipe dirt off their feet before entering the vehicle.

Running boards come in many kinds of materials, including:

Diamond-plate steel

Rubber

Plastic

Fiberglass

A tube-like structure that runs around the perimeter of the vehicle (…this structure is popular on Jeeps)

Similar Vehicle Accessories

Nerf bars can serve the same purposes of a running board; however, they are slightly different. Nerf bars are pipes (usually chrome or steel) that run along the sides of a vehicle. Nerf bars have small footpads that provide traction. Likewise, some trucks have truck steps. These are much shorter than running boards (they do not extend from wheel to wheel). Moreover, they are practical rather than decorative.